The incident reported in the story "Child reportedly contained in cage-like structure at ACT primary school" (April 3, page 1) does not surprise me at all. Children with disabilities are frequently excluded from the mainstream in all sorts of ways ranging from the very subtle to the outrageous such as the use of a cage. This incident is not an aberration, but an extreme example of the constant sidelining of children with disabilities in ACT schools. The few caring, inclusive teachers are often not backed up by senior staff or by the education department. Then there are the many teachers with good intentions, but who are uncertain about their abilities to include students with disabilities, who are not given the support they need to develop their skills and gain confidence. Moving the principal of the school in this story to administrative duties is a knee-jerk reaction to bad publicity. Good on the person who blew the whistle on the cage incident. Good on The Canberra Times for reporting it. Please don't believe it is a one-off incident and that all is well in the rest of the education sector, it is not.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lisette Frigo, Dickson
The "Chorus of dismay at 'cage' for autistic Canberra school student" (April 4, page 1) needs to be tempered with a realistic regard for the safety and duty of care that all teachers have to observe for all children under their supervision. The integration of special-needs children within the general public school system is (relatively) in its infancy. This case highlights the enormous difficulties the teacher is confronted with. Those quick to criticise need to spend a day or two in a special-needs teacher's shoes. In response to World Autism Day last Thursday, Gowrie Primary special-needs teachers had the entire school, students, teachers and support staff, do a mural of hands accompanied with input about understanding those who are different. The mural faces the playground with the words of the school: "Everyone Counts". Let us remember that despite challenges there is also good work being achieved by dedicated teachers and assistants in this area.
Sylvia Miners, Isabella Plains
Laws don't halt crime
It is premature to rush to legal responses to domestic violence before we develop a broader understanding of it as a social problem and how social resources are best to be allocated within a broader social strategy. Legal responses generally assume that the prospect of criminal trial and punishment is a factor that alters the behaviour of those who would otherwise carry out acts of violence in a domestic setting. It is unlikely, however, that the revision of old offences and the conception of new ones will have this effect. The benefits of a law reform-focused approach arrive too late on the scene of the escalating domestic dispute to stop it. To drive at the dynamics of domestic violence we need a broader social inquiry leading to a more comprehensive program of reform. Why is it that these attackers so devalue those who they attack? Why is it that they conceive violence as a viable or acceptable response? What is the role of drugs and alcohol? What are the potential roles for community education? How can policing resources be best applied to the problem in order to aid those at risk? To focus this present inquiry narrowly on legal issues so early in its course risks diversion away from the development and dissemination of a broader social strategy that will contribute constructively to the achievement of peaceful society.
Murray Raff, Campbell
I was glad to read of the lawyers' reaction to proposed domestic violence law changes to allow "a victim's initial police statement as evidence ... as a knee-jerk reaction that would not address the root cause" ("Lawyers criticise family violence reforms", April 4) The comment, "This is the exact opposite of the presumption of innocence" is a mild summation. It would be a return to the bad old days of police verbals.
Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor
Lives in tatters
It was demoralising to see the Minister for Defence, Kevin Andrews, walking down the corridors of power congratulating the "consultant" who, having just delivered a verdict of unemployment for at least 1000 Defence staff and probably contributing to a seriously impacted lifestyle for 4000 others, seemed as pleased as punch with his efforts. Such is the way of things with this feckless government. Cut, cut, cut and hang the expense for so many whose lives will now be shattered.
Rhys Stanley, Hall
Will Labor ever learn?
The definition of madness is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. (Labor bid to soften refugee's treatment, Forum, April 4 ). Now that the detention centres are being emptied, deaths at sea have stopped and Australia is on the cusp of once again having a generous, safe and well-managed approach to refugees, elements of Labor's left think that it is once again time to chance their arm with the people smugglers and safety at sea to overturn the efforts made by the Abbott government to tidy up the mess Labor left last time. Never forget that the people parading their virtue on this issue now were stoney silent when hundreds were drowning at sea. Spare me this sanctimonious and dangerous tripe.
H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra
Give us named feijoas
Jackie French ( April 5) is not comparing apples with apples when she says that feijoas are never as sweet or delicious as late-season apples. The apple trees in her garden are doubtless named varieties, selected and propagated by skilled gardeners. Yet, for some reason Australian nurseries (unlike New Zealand ones) think it is enough to supply feijoas that are not grafted but simply grown from seed, and to label them as fruit trees. Of course trees grown from seed are likely to give smaller and less tasty fruit. Anyone who wants to know how good feijoas can be should seek out named varieties from those very few Australian nurseries (sadly there are none at present in Canberra) that sell grafted feijoas.
Mark O'Connor, Lyneham
Rhetorical claptrap
The official Defence advice for all to see is bloated with rhetoric, motherhood statements and "media-friendly" buzz words – "strategic contestibility", "credible internal contestibility", "centre-led planning and performance processes", How did we ever fight a war in the past without such guidelines? But are they worth at least 1000 jobs, the decision for which we can thank our current Minister for Defence. And that's called progress?
Rex Williams, Ainslie
City spread, not cats, to blame for decline in native wildlife
David Rees is correct (Letters to the editor, April 4). It's a bit much to blame cats for a decline in native wildlife when Canberra is built on cleared woodland and grassland and more habitat has been cleared for more suburbs, industrial estates and shopping centres — hardly good native animal habitat! The loss of these woodlands and native grassland have been the major cause for the decline in rare birds such as swift parrots and regent honey eaters, and the decline in grass parrots, not cats. Cats take native animals (and non-native), but just because cats kill wildlife doesn't mean that they are affecting the population. Animals produce many more young than they need to replace themselves. Cats may well be taking the doomed surplus produced each year. For example, blue wrens can double and triple clutch and live for more than 10 years. They only need one successful clutch during their lifetime to replace themselves. If most of their young survived, we would be knee deep in blue wrens. The same is true for magpies, rosellas etc. I know of no sound, scientific evidence that native birds in Canberra are under threat from cats. Nonetheless, Canberra is well placed to assess the value of cat containment by comparing the variety and abundance of native birds in suburbs with cat containment (Forde and Bonner) with similar-aged, matched suburbs with no cat containment. The study would cost little and be easy to undertake.
Mike Braysher, Narrabundah
I applaud the letters of David Rees and Geoff Potts (Letters, April 4) questioning/criticising Jon Stanhope's advocacy for cat containment. By his own admission on ABC 666, Stanhope has never owned a cat, hence is not familiar with their behaviour. He has had 10 years to air his views while Chief Minister and now is just a mere mortal like the rest of us. His silly ideas don't deserve the prominence they have been getting lately.
Jan Johnston, Curtin
Geoff Potts (Letters, April 4) might like to know that there is a third option on cat containment: one which both contains cats effectively and allows them to roam and behave naturally (within the confines of their owner's block). This option is electronic containment, but unfortunately it is illegal in the ACT. All other states and territories (except SA) allow it. I have approached the relevant Minister (Mr Rattenbury), and his ACT Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, with a view to removing the legislative impediments to this highly effective (and cost-effective) solution, but I have yet to receive a decision. Perhaps a more broadly based, popular campaign might help move things along more quickly? Over to you, Geoff (and others)!
Mark Raymond, Manton NSW
I support N.Hardy (Letters, April 6), who argues that, rather than universal cat containment, we should be addressing the underlying cause of threats to our biodiversity, namely, human population growth. Some may respond by saying we can deal with ever-more people through urban consolidation rather than sprawl, but there are limits to that before we lose quality of life. Children, in particular, need parks if not big backyards though there is much to be said for having a garden for people of all ages. Canberra still grows by 4000 a year which requires about 1600 new homes to be built annually. Those should be built along transport corridors to make proposals like light rail viable. Let us hope, however, human population growth stops before long and so other species can survive and thrive, not just cats.
Jenny Goldie, Michelago
Plant deciduous exotics
Recent (April 2, Comment) exchanges regarding the replacement of existing gum trees with scribbly gums along Northbourne Avenue make me wonder if there is not a better, more interesting option for Canberra. Why not replace the gum trees with deciduous trees? One of the more attractive aspects of Canberra as we slide towards winter is the colour of our deciduous trees in autumn, as we see at the moment. In the urban setting deciduous trees provide excellent shade in the summer and once their leaves have fallen in autumn the light pours in to brighten and warm, even if the warming is only a little. Canberra's city fathers and mothers are keen to brighten up our environment, sometimes at considerable expense. Oaks, maples, elms and their kin are not expensive and would serve us well, as they do for Melbourne if we need a precedent. As a reasonably long-time resident of Canberra I could continue to feel comfortable enough about living in the Bush Capital even if I didn't greet a gum tree at every turn. The gum tree, a wonderful addition to nature, is at its most useful when it is old and its limb scars have rotted out to provide nesting opportunities for parrots.
Sadly, our urban gum trees cannot serve this need as they are typically removed by arborists for fear that mature trees may shed a few tons of timber on the heads of unsuspecting passersby. Those of us in the suburbs, unprotected by arborists, accept this risk without complaint, and the trees and parrots grace our parks, street-scapes and yards. That should be enough. Northbourne avenue might be more welcoming and interesting with colour and light through the year.
John Beaton, Campbell
Pay parity vital
Disharmony over wages between ADF and APS is rare. (April 5, page 14). Most Defence APS respect and acknowledge the benefits owed to the military. I would think there was more disharmony over the disparity between APS positions. Guidelines are available from the APSC on what level a position should be set at, determined by the complexity of the tasks and level of responsibility. Yet positions doing exactly the same work are set at APS4 through to EL1. The Defence Department has worked very hard on its Core Capability Framework and Job Families programs. Department-wide review and implementation of these programs should make job disparity thing of the past. It's a fairer system that will take courage to enforce.
C. McCulloch, Reid
Reject Brickworks and respect vision
LDA consultants must have sweated on clever questions to claim a mandate for Yarralumla Brickworks that levels the land like a wheat field, destroys the treed approach to the Governor-General's place and shoe-horns people into an 18th-century grid pattern with no green spaces (March30, page 3).
This is not the Canberra way. The senators decided that this beautiful valley would be the nation's capital. Walter and Marion Griffin gave Australians a city like no other with green spaces and vistas. NCDC put roads on contour lines and green spaces in the suburbs.
Research in the last 20 years shows the human race needs spaces with trees, grasses and shrubs for health and wellbeing. Measures used included blood pressure when walking in concrete jungles and natural bushland (Virginia Lohr, a visiting researcher at the Fenner School). Bulldozing and flattening the open space between Yarralumla, the GG's and Mint may provide goodies for developers and monies for government. The slums and congestion created promise long-term social and road building costs. The proposals are still ambient claims. We should be proud that there are Nimbys in Yarralumla.
Jean Geue, Aranda
Peter McGhie's letter about the surveying of Yarralumla residents' opinions about the brickworks (Letters, April 6) reminds me of an episode of Yes, Prime Minister. Sir Humphrey asked Bernard a series of questions that lead Bernard to strongly support the introduction of National Service. However, when Sir Humphrey asked Bernard a different set of questions, Bernard strongly disagreed with the introduction of National Service. It was a very instructive interaction that has stayed with me all this time.
Gordon Fyfe, Kambah
TO THE POINT
WORSE THAN USELESS
When is our judiciary going to get the message? The recurring headline "Violence victims fear DVO backlash" (April 6, page 1) says it all. Enforcement of DVOs is so paltry as to render them worse than useless.
Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor
HOW ABOUT FREE BUSES?
ACTION reports it received $22million in fares last year. Using the simplest of maths and analysis and assuming the light rail cost $700million, we could instead have free buses for upwards of 28 years? Food for thought?
David Brown, Chapman.
IN AGREEMENT
I appreciated and agree with your editorial (April 4) "Faith should inspire and build". The Bible references were well chosen.
Evelyn Bean, Ainslie
VIOLIN TUNED UP
Yes, T.J. Farqahar, my violin leapt violently from its dusty shelf (Letters, April 5) – many overseas students here are very flush indeed, compared with their local counterparts.
Barrie Smillie, Duffy
CRACKING VENTURE
What a great article (April 4, page 1), Terry and Craig Robinson at Gundaroo making a go for themselves. We see so much doom and gloom on front pages. I would like to wish the Bum Nuts all the best.
Wal Glennon, Duffy
NRL'S BAD FRIDAY
News of a jeering mob and bottles being thrown down on umpires at a football match played on Good Friday? Where do I begin?
Father Luke Verrell, Calwell.
TONE IT DOWN
Margaret Hunt's letter of April 2 referring to the intake of alcohol in sports celebrations suggested this habit should be worked on. I think the external use of it and the practice of teams leaping all over each other (which reminds me of a group of spitfire grubs) could also be toned down.
Colleen Perriman, Page
PUT PUSS IN A CAGE
Geoff Potts (Letters, April 4), you can't be serious. Putting your cat in a cage of your choice versus the destruction of native birds for all to enjoy is a no brainer. Put puss in a cage. Cat owners, thank god, are the minority and may they increasingly be so. It may cost you a few quid, but I am sure your little bundle of fur is worth it.
Patrick O'Hara, Isaacs
KNEES JERKING
Why am I not surprised that T.J.Farqahar has a micro-violin? It must be quite a sight, playing violin to the beat of constant knee-jerking.
Joyce Wu, Lyneham
Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.
Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).
